Two outside prosecutors will review Remy stabbing case

Thursday

Aug 22, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 22, 2013 at 10:18 PM

Two veteran prosecutors from Norfolk and Essex counties will review the actions taken at the Middlesex district attorney’s office that lead to the release of accused domestic batterer Jared Remy shortly before Remy allegedly killed his girlfriend.

Two veteran prosecutors from Norfolk and Essex counties will review the actions taken at the Middlesex district attorney’s office that lead to the release of accused domestic batterer Jared Remy shortly before Remy allegedly killed his girlfriend. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan reportedly said earlier this week the office would conduct an internal assessment of the matter while defending prosecutors’ choice to defer to the domestic violence victim in determining whether to seek bail or a dangerousness hearing. On Wednesday afternoon, Ryan announced Former Essex District Attorney Kevin Burke and Norfolk County First Assistant District Attorney Jeanmarie Carroll will handle the investigation into Remy’s release including a determination “if the office’s policies and procedures were followed in this case, and whether those policies and procedures are sufficient to adequately address the offender release issues which arise in domestic violence cases.” Ryan has not released the name of the prosecutor who made the recommendation in the case, and that individual is still working regularly, according to an official in the prosecutor’s office. Ryan requested the review by the two seasoned prosecutors. Burke was Essex DA from 1979 to and a former secretary of public safety whom Ryan’s office credited with writing the Massachusetts Victims’ Bill of Rights. Carroll, who has won the Massachusetts Prosecutor of the Year Award, has been a Norfolk prosecutor for 25 years, and has experience handling domestic violence cases, and leading training for police, prosecutors and service providers, and serves on Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly Board of Editors, according to Ryan’s office. “The death of Jennifer Martel is a horrific tragedy, and it would be irresponsible for our office not to re-examine what happened. I am confident that District Attorney Burke and First Assistant Carroll will conduct a thorough and independent review of this case, and we will utilize these findings to make any changes necessary to better protect victims,” said Ryan in a statement. Remy, son of the Red Sox sportscaster Jerry Remy, was arrested Monday, Aug. 12, released on personal recognizance the next day, and allegedly killed Martel, the mother of his child, on Thursday. “It is important to emphasize that while this review process continues, our focus remains on the prosecution of Jennifer Martel’s killer and our thoughts are with Jennifer’s family,” said Ryan in a statement. Some, including the Massachusetts Bar Association, have called for Attorney General Martha Coakley or some other independent entity to conduct a review of the circumstances. Coakley’s office said it would leave the review of the particular matter to Ryan, though the AG will review the state’s domestic violence laws. The findings of the report will likely be made public, an official said. The Massachusetts Bar Association, which joined those calling for an independent review of the Jared Remy case, praised Ryan for initiating the outside review. “We commend District Attorney Marian Ryan for heeding the calls of the Massachusetts Bar Association and others in seeking an independent review of the Jared Remy matter,” said Martin Healy, MBA chief legal counsel in a statement. “Ryan’s pick of two highly respected prosecutors, former Essex District Attorney Kevin Burke and Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Jeanmarie Carroll, will ensure a transparent review and help instill public confidence in the administration of justice.”